TORONTO, Ont. - With Omar Shiddo and Eriq Jenkins combining for 33 points in the second half, their offensive efforts helped them carry the Western Mustangs over the Toronto Varsity Blues in the 79-73 win.
The win over Toronto improves Western's record to 5-3 on the year, pushing them up to third place in the OUA West. Toronto's record was updated to the inverse of the Mustangs, at 3-5 putting them at sixth in the OUA East.
Shiddo was an offensive powerhouse for the Mustangs, leading both teams with 31 points over the course of the night. Fellow Mustang Jenkins was also an effective asset for the purple and white, scoring 17 points alongside a game-high 4 steals to help out on both sides of the court. Julian Walker continues to show growth in only his second season, helping the team's rebounding efforts by grabbing 11 boards on the night.
The first quarter begun with a fast-paced and competitive tone that defined the rest of the evening, with team held failing to break double digits. As both sides exchanged buckets in the back-and-forth affair, an eventual break came for the Mustangs in the form of a 6-0 run late in the frame. This allowed them to narrowly distance themselves in front of the Blues, leading 18-14 at the end for the first quarter.
At around the midpoint of second frame, flat play from Western gave way for Toronto to squeak ahead. As a result, the purple and white picked up their defensive efforts as scoring began coming few and far between. But a huge 3-pointer from Jedson Tavernier brought the Mustangs within a single possession as they trailed 29-31 heading into halftime.
The second half turned to be a complete turning point for Jenkins, coming alive to score 15 of his 17 points all within 16 minutes of play. Alongside the efforts of Shiddo, who also scored 18 points, the Mustangs were able to retake the lead and ice out the game with a set of clutch free-throws from the scoring leader. With the game concluding at 79-73, Western came away with the win.
The Mustangs will be back in action this Saturday, November 24th, where they face off against the Ryerson Rams for their first meeting of the season. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:00 P.M. EST and fans can catch the action live on OUA.tv.
